1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optics assembly having a base with a platform and removable and interchangeable modules, and in particular to an optics assembly for a Kalashnikov style firearm.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many aftermarket optics that can be used with existing firearms. Some firearms are designed for interchangeable optics. Others are retrofitted. In either case, optic mounts are required in order to support the optics.
Some exemplary patents are:
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 36,312 (hereafter, “USPN”) to Martel is titled Combined Receiver Cover and Scope Mount.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,946 to LoRocco is titled Removable Sight Assembly for Weapons. It shows that an inner sleeve is pressed, when installed on a weapon, between a feature of the weapon such as a rib, rail, or barrel, and an outer sleeve. An aiming indicia is mounted on the outer sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,893 to Spinner is titled Mounting Apparatus. It illustrates a mounting apparatus for attaching a sighting device onto a weapon. The mounting apparatus has a rail disposed on part of the weapon in a longitudinal direction. The rail has a pair of longitudinally extending opposed sides and a longitudinally extending first attachment element on each of the opposed sides. A removable mounting base has a pair of longitudinally extending side edges and a longitudinally extending second attachment element on each side edge. Each second attachment element is complimentary to a corresponding one of the first attachment elements. The mounting base is slidingly and longitudinally engaged with the rail via the complimentary first and second attachment elements. The mounting base is formed of at least two parts which are slidable against one another in a transverse direction. A spring mechanism produces a spring force and is arranged to bias the two parts of the mounting base into engagement with the rail. The spring force is overcome by manually squeezing the two parts to release the mounting base from the rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,934 to Huan is titled Mounting Bracket for Scope of a Gun. It shows a mounting bracket for a scope of a gun is disclosed. The mounting bracket is used to mount night scopes or telescopic scopes onto the barrel of a gun rapidly. The bracket comprises a seat body having a securing jaw, an actuating jaw and a triggering block, and the actuating jaw is pivotally mounted at the seat body and, together with the securing jaw, correspondingly grips the barrel of the gun. Further, the triggering block is pivotally mounted at the seat body, and the triggering block correspondingly urges or releases the actuating jaw. The user can rapidly disassemble the mounting bracket and the barrel of the gun. The direction of action of the triggering block is perpendicularly intersected with the vibration direction of the barrel and therefore the mounting bracket will not be dislocated in the course of shooting.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,062,876 to Wilson is titled Rifle Scope Mounting Means. It shows a sight base useful to render military-style rifles equipped with battle sights to be retrofitted with telescopic rifle scopes. Use of a device according to the invention provides sporting use and accuracy to rifles originally conceived as weapons of war, in a quick and convenient method. A sight base according to the invention is readily attached and detached from a rifle, and provides surprising accuracy owing to the rigid means by which a scope may be affixed to a rifle through use of the scope base provided herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,634,866 to Javorsky is titled Gun Site Having Removable Adjustable Modules. It illustrates a gun sight including a lens through which a target may be viewed and a light source for directing a point of light toward the lens, the point of light being reflected by the lens toward the viewer. The location of the reflected point of light with respect to the viewer along both windage and elevation axis is adjustable, and elevation and windage modules for permitting the adjustments are removable from the remainder of the gun sight without disturbing the adjusted and windage elevation settings.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,655 to Spuhr is titled Sight Mount for Fire Arms. It shows a sight mount for fire arms comprises a base part to be mounted on a fire arm, and an upper part to have a sight mounted thereon. The upper part is pivoted relative to the base part for movement about an axis between a first position corresponding to the operative position of the sight, wherein a projection on the, upper part or the base part engages a groove on the other part, and a second position transverse to the first position, wherein the projection is disengaged from the groove to allow the upper part to be separated from the base part. A latch is spring biased to an engaged position preventing pivoting of the upper part, and against the spring bias can be brought into a disengaged position allowing pivoting of the upper part.
While each of these patents may show products that work well for their intended purposes, none anticipate or render the present invention obvious.
For example, none are adapted for use with a Kalashnikov style firearm.
Specifically, the dust cover and receiver on the Kalashnikov style firearm is made of sheet metal and lacks structural strength and rigidity. In this regard, the dust cover makes for a poor structure upon which to support a mount for optics or other devices. Yet, the location over the dust cover may be a desirable location for an optics mount.
Also, none show interchangeable optics that are supported by a base platform that replaces a rear sight tower in a Kalashnikov style firearm.
Further, none show a platform with a slide rail that slidingly and removably holds a removable module along a slide rail longitudinal axis.
Still further, none show a slide retention feature of the present invention that supports the module and the gas tube of the firearm.
Thus there exists a need for an optics assembly having a platform and removable and interchangeable modules that solves these and other problems.